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Introducción: Medicina y Veterinaria son licenciaturas con alta demanda académica que tiende a ocasionar niveles elevados de estrés entre sus estudiantes. Objetivo: El propósito de esta investigación fue indagar sobre el papel de las estrategias utilizadas por los alumnos para afrontar el estrés. Sujetos y métodos. Se aplicó una encuesta en línea a 244 estudiantes del primer año de ambas carreras en la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, al inicio del ciclo escolar y cuatro meses después. La encuesta incluyó la escala de estrés percibido de 10 ítems, el inventario de estilos de afrontamiento, y un apartado que indagó sobre aspectos sociodemográficos y académicos. Resultados: Se observó un incremento en el estrés de los alumnos de ambas licenciaturas, que fue estadísticamente significativo sólo en veterinaria (t(140)= 3,4; p < 0,001; d de Cohen = 0,29). El análisis estadístico mostró que mayores recursos económicos percibidos, mayor equilibrio entre la vida personal y académica, mayor resolución del problema y evitación del problema, así como menor expresión emocional, pensamiento desiderativo y autocrítica, notificados al inicio del ciclo académico, fueron los factores que se asociaron significativamente con un menor estrés percibido después de cuatromeses (F(15,228) = 14,16; p < 0,0001). Conclusión: Se destaca que las escuelas deberían incorporar actividades durante el proceso de formación de los futuros médicos y veterinarios, centradas en guiarlos y motivarlos para que desarrollen y utilicen estrategias que les permitan manejar adecuadamente situaciones desafiantes. De este modo, ellos pueden evitar el incremento de los niveles de estrés y el posible impacto negativo en su desempeño académico y salud mental.(AU)
Introduction: Medicine and Veterinary are careers with high academic demands that tend to cause high levels of stressamong students. Objective: This study investigated the role of strategies used by students to deal with stress.Subjects and methods. An online survey was administered to 244 medical and veterinary students at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, at the beginning of their first academic cycle and four months later. The survey included the perceived stress scale-10, the coping strategies inventory, as well as a section that inquired about sociodemographic and academic characteristics. Results: An increase in the stress of the students in both degrees was noted but this was only statistically significant (t(140) = 3.4, p < 0.001, Cohens d = 0.29) among students enrolled in veterinary. Perception of higher financial resources to cover tuition and fees, greater life and school balance, increased problem-solving and problem-avoidance, less emotional expression, wishful thinking, and self-criticism, mentioned at the beginning of the academic cycle were significantly associated with a lower perception of stress four months later (F(15,228) = 14.16, p < 0.0001).Conclusion: It is highlighted that schools should incorporate activities during the training process of future doctors and veterinarians, focused on guiding and motivating them to develop and use strategies that allow them to adequately handle challenging situations. In this way, they will be able to avoid increased stress levels and the possible negative impact on their academic performance and mental health.(AU)
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Adaptation, Psychological , Stress, Psychological , Students, Medical/psychology , Veterinary Medicine , Education, Veterinary , Surveys and Questionnaires , Longitudinal Studies , MexicoABSTRACT
Previous studies indicate that COVID-19 confinement has led to an increase in psychological distress and a decrease in overall well-being. This longitudinal study aims to investigate how stress mindset and personality traits moderate the impact of life stress on the development of emotional well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic confinement. Our study collected daily life stress and emotions data from 134 participants over 14 consecutive days using the diary method. We used hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) to analyze the data, examining within-person and between-person effects. Life stress predicted moderate increases in positive emotions and strong increases in negative emotions over time. A stress-is-enhancing stress mindset was associated with greater positive emotions at baseline and mitigated the link between life stress and negative emotions. Among the Big Five personality traits, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness were associated with higher baseline levels of positive emotions. Agreeableness and conscientiousness mitigated the link between life stress and negative emotions. Neuroticism was associated with higher baseline levels of negative emotions and moderately mitigated the link between life stress and positive emotions. The interaction between neuroticism and stress-is-enhancing mindset predicted greater negative emotions and mitigated the link between life stress and positive emotions. In contrast, the interaction between stress-is-enhancing mindset and the other four personality traits mitigated the positive link between life stress and negative emotions. Overall, these findings suggest that life stress from confinement leads to a decrease in daily emotional well-being as the confinement prolongs. Personality traits-agreeableness, conscientiousness, and a stress-is-enhancing stress mindset-act as protective roles in mitigating life stress' effect on reduced emotional well-being over time. The findings advance our knowledge in understanding the roles of personality traits and stress-is-enhancing mindset in explaining the heterogeneity in the impact of life stress on emotional well-being.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Personality , Stress, Psychological , Humans , COVID-19/psychology , Male , Female , Stress, Psychological/psychology , Adult , Longitudinal Studies , Middle Aged , Emotions , Young Adult , Quarantine/psychology , NeuroticismABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic promoted strict restrictions to human activities in China, which led to an unexpected increase in ozone (O3) regarding to nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) co-abatement in urban China. However, providing a quantitative assessment of the photochemistry that leads to O3 increase is still challenging. Here, we evaluated changes in O3 arising from photochemical production with precursors (NOX and VOCS) in industrial regions in Shanghai during the COVID-19 lockdowns by using machine learning models and box models. The changes of air pollutants (O3, NOX, VOCs) during the COVID-19 lockdowns were analyzed by deweathering and detrending machine learning models with regard to meteorological and emission effects. After accounting for effects of meteorological variability, we find increase in O3 concentration (49.5%). Except for meteorological effects, model results of detrending the business-as-usual changes indicate much smaller reduction (-0.6%), highlighting the O3 increase attributable to complex photochemistry mechanism and the upward trends of O3 due to clear air policy in Shanghai. We then used box models to assess the photochemistry mechanism and identify key factors that control O3 production during lockdowns. It was found that empirical evidence for a link between efficient radical propagation and the optimized O3 production efficiency of NOX under the VOC-limited conditions. Simulations with box models also indicate that priority should be given to controlling industrial emissions and vehicle exhaust while the VOCs and NOX should be managed at a proper ratio in order to control O3 in winter. While lockdown is not a condition that could ever be continued indefinitely, findings of this study offer theoretical support for formulating refined O3 management in industrial regions in Shanghai, especially in winter.
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Introducción: El confinamiento por la enfermedad del coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) interrumpió la vida de todo el mundo en marzo de 2020. El confinamiento obligatorio duró dos meses, lo que tuvo un impacto en la salud mental de las personas. Sin embargo, se desconoce en gran medida cómo afectó a quienes ya luchaban con problemas de salud mental. Métodos: Se recopiló información de 18 pacientes con primer episodio psicótico (PEP) mediante una encuesta en línea. La encuesta tenía preguntas sobre COVID-19, el impacto del confinamiento en la vida diaria y las estrategias de afrontamiento utilizadas durante el confinamiento entre marzo y abril de 2020 en España. Resultados: Algunas estrategias de afrontamiento se asociaron con diferentes actividades de la vida diaria: normalizar la situación, buscar ayuda de amigos o familiares y buscar ayuda de profesionales en situaciones estresantes, leer fuentes de información y autoayuda para enfrentar el estrés, enfocarse en las emociones que generan estrés, intentar centrarse en problemas concretos y buscar soluciones, y aceptar la situación con resignación. Conclusiones: Como conclusión, los resultados sugieren que no todas las estrategias de afrontamiento impactaron de la misma manera en la vida diaria de los/las pacientes con PEP durante el confinamiento por COVID-19.(AU)
Introduction: Lockdown for 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) disrupted life worldwide from March 2020. Mandatory lockdown lasted two months, which had an impact on peoples mental health. However, how it affected those who already struggled with mental health problems is largely unknown. Methods: We collected information from 18 patients with first-episode psychosis (FEP) through an online survey. The survey contained questions regarding COVID-19, impact of confinement on daily life, and coping strategies during lockdown between March and April 2020 in Spain. Results: Some coping strategies were associated with different daily life activities: normalizing the situation, seeking help from friends or family, and seeking help from professionals in stressful situations, reading information sources and self-help to cope with stress, focusing on the emotions that generate stress, trying to focus on specific problems and seek solutions, and accepting the situation with resignation. Discussion: As a conclusion, results suggest that not all coping strategies impacted in the same way in daily life of patients with FEP during COVID-19 lockdown.(AU)
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Adult , Social Isolation , Pandemics , Coronavirus Infections , Adaptation, Psychological , Psychotic Disorders , Activities of Daily Living , Spain , Surveys and Questionnaires , PsychiatryABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic may worsen the mental health of people reporting subjective cognitive decline (SCD) and therefore their clinical prognosis. We aimed to investigate the association between the intensity of SCD and anxious/depressive symptoms during confinement and the underlying mechanisms. METHODS: Two hundred fifty cognitively unimpaired participants completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and SCD-Questionnaire (SCD-Q) and underwent amyloid-ß positron emission tomography imaging with [18F] flutemetamol (N = 205) on average 2.4 (± 0.8) years before the COVID-19 confinement. During the confinement, participants completed the HADS, Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Brief Resilience Scale (BRS), and an ad hoc questionnaire on worries (access to primary products, self-protection materials, economic situation) and lifestyle changes (sleep duration, sleep quality, eating habits). We investigated stress-related measurements, worries, and lifestyle changes in relation to SCD. We then conducted an analysis of covariance to investigate the association of SCD-Q with HADS scores during the confinement while controlling for pre-confinement anxiety/depression scores and demographics. Furthermore, we introduced amyloid-ß positivity, PSS, and BRS in the models and performed mediation analyses to explore the mechanisms explaining the association between SCD and anxiety/depression. RESULTS: In the whole sample, the average SCD-Q score was 4.1 (± 4.4); 70 (28%) participants were classified as SCD, and 26 (12.7%) were amyloid-ß-positive. During the confinement, participants reporting SCD showed higher PSS (p = 0.035) but not BRS scores (p = 0.65) than those that did not report SCD. No differences in worries or lifestyle changes were observed. Higher SCD-Q scores showed an association with greater anxiety/depression scores irrespective of pre-confinement anxiety/depression levels (p = 0.002). This association was not significant after introducing amyloid-ß positivity and stress-related variables in the model (p = 0.069). Amyloid-ß positivity and PSS were associated with greater HADS irrespective of pre-confinement anxiety/depression scores (p = 0.023; p < 0.001). The association of SCD-Q with HADS was mediated by PSS (p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Higher intensity of SCD, amyloid-ß positivity, and stress perception showed independent associations with anxious/depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 confinement irrespective of pre-confinement anxiety/depression levels. The association of SCD intensity with anxiety/depression was mediated by stress perception, suggesting stress regulation as a potential intervention to reduce affective symptomatology in the SCD population in the face of stressors.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Cognitive Dysfunction , Amyloid beta-Peptides , Anxiety/diagnosis , Anxiety/epidemiology , Cognitive Dysfunction/diagnostic imaging , Cognitive Dysfunction/epidemiology , Depression/diagnosis , Depression/epidemiology , Humans , Pandemics , PerceptionABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: COVID-19 confinement affected lifestyles. There is inconclusive evidence about changes in eating patterns, and there are few studies on the impact on body mass index (BMI), the occurrence of dysfunctional behaviors (binge eating, fat intake), and the predictive role of maladaptive eating styles (emotional, external, and restrained eating). OBJECTIVES: (1) To analyze the differences in binge eating, fat intake, BMI, and maladaptive eating styles before and during COVID-19 confinement, and (2) to analyze whether maladaptive eating styles (before confinement) predicted binge eating, fat intake, and BMI during confinement. METHODS: The sample consisted of 146 Spanish college students, divided into 104 females (71.2%; age: M = 22.20, SD = 2.97) and 42 males (28.8%; age: M = 24.74; SD = 3.53). All completed several dietary measures and BMI twice: before COVID-19 confinement (T1, November 2019) and during COVID-19 confinement (T2, April 2020). RESULTS: BMI and maladaptive eating styles did not change in T2 (vs. T1). However, binge eating and fat intake decreased in T2. Emotional eating at T1 positively predicted BMI and binge eating at T2. External eating at T1 positively (and marginally) predicted fat intake at T2. Restrained eating at T1 positively predicted binge eating at T2, and negatively (and marginally) predicted BMI and fat intake at T2. The model explained 80.5% of the variance in BMI, 41.5% of the variance in binge eating, and 25.8% of the variance in fat intake during COVID-19 confinement. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 confinement had a positive impact on some eating behaviors. Future policies should focus part of their prevention on maladaptive eating styles to curb dysfunctional eating behaviors and BMI problems in times of stress.
The COVID-19 confinement affected the lifestyles of the young population, especially eating behaviors. It is not yet known whether eating problems, such as binge eating and high fat intake, changed during this period in the young people. It is also not known whether the young population perceived changes in their BMI during COVID-19 confinement. In addition, eating styles (emotional eating, restrictive eating, and external eating) may be predictors of this change. The present study found that binge eating and fat intake decreased in COVID-19 confinement, and BMI and eating styles remained stable. Eating styles predicted change in these eating problems (binge eating and fat intake) and change in BMI during this period of elevated stress. Therefore, eating styles may help to understand dietary changes during times of high stress.
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During the COVID-19 pandemic, physical inactivity and being overweight increased in children, especially those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Additionally, a decrease in motor performance has been increasingly reported; however, there is a lack of meaningful data on the relationship between these findings and socioeconomic status. Therefore, we examined the BMI, BMI z score, the prevalence of overweight/obesity, and motor performance (based on lateral jumping, the standing long jump, and the 6-min run) among three cohorts from timelines before (2016) and during the pandemic (2020, 2021), using a cohort sequential design. Our analysis revealed that all parameters examined showed a significant negative trend over time. For children with a low social burden, the trend was statistically detectable only for lateral jumping and the 6-min run. For children with a high social burden, the prevalence of overweight/obesity increased from 4.2% to 5.4% between 2016 and 2021. The prevalence of being underweight also increased from 3.4% to 4.3% during this time. Motor performance decreased from 11.3% to 12.3%, except in the standing long jump. Children with a high social burden showed significantly lower results (7.4% to 9.6%). Thus, our data confirm an increase in both measurements of overweight/obesity and underweight, as well as a decrease in motor performance under the pandemic conditions, especially in children from socioeconomically deprived backgrounds. These findings affirm the urgent need for action regarding health promotion measures, especially for children with high social burdens.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Overweight , Body Mass Index , COVID-19/epidemiology , Child , Humans , Obesity/epidemiology , Overweight/epidemiology , Pandemics , Prevalence , Schools , Thinness/epidemiologyABSTRACT
The restriction imposed worldwide for limiting the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) globally impacted our lives, decreasing people's wellbeing, causing increased anxiety, depression, and stress and affecting cognitive functions, such as memory. Recent studies reported decreased working memory (WM) and prospective memory (PM), which are pivotal for the ability to plan and perform future activities. Although the number of studies documenting the COVID-19 effects has recently blossomed, most of them employed self-reported questionnaires as the assessment method. The main aim of our study was to use standardized tests to evaluate WM and PM in a population of young students. A sample of 150 female psychology students was recruited online for the administration of two self-reported questionnaires that investigated psychological wellbeing (DASS-21), prospective, and retrospective memory (PRMQ). Subjects were also administered two standardized tests for WM (PASAT) and PM (MIST). We found increased anxiety, depression, and stress and decreased PM as measured by self-reports. The perceived memory failures agreed with the results from the standardized tests, which demonstrated a decrease in both WM and PM. Thus, COVID-19 restriction has strongly impacted on students' mental health and memory abilities, leaving an urgent need for psychological and cognitive recovery plans.
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Introduction: The primary aims of this study were to evaluate the changes in dietary behavior among the Croatian adult population during the COVID-19 outbreak and to explore the impact of confinement on cooking habits. Methods: The study was based on results from COVIDiet_Int cross-sectional study-a part of COVIDiet project (NCT04449731). A self-administered online questionnaire was used to assess the frequency of food consumption, eating habits, and sociodemographic information. A total number of 4,281 participants (80.5% females and 19.4% males) completed the questionnaire. Results: The Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (MEDAS) score before the confinement was 5.02 ± 1.97, while during the confinement, the MEDAS score increased to 5.85 ± 2.04. Participants who had higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) during the confinement were mostly females (88.8%), aged between 20 and 50 years, with the highest level of education (66.3%) and normal BMI (70.6%). The majority of participants maintained their dietary behavior as it was before COVID-19 confinement, while 36.9% decreased their physical activity. Participants with higher MEDAS score were more eager to increase their physical activity. Additionally, higher median values of MEDAS score were noted for participants with body mass index values below 24.9 kg/m2 (6.0 vs. 5.0 for participants with BMI above 25 kg/m2). Participants in all residence places increased their cooking frequency during the confinement (53.8%), which was associated with an increase in vegetables, legumes, as well as fish and seafood consumption. Conclusions: According to our findings, Croatian adults exhibited medium adherence to the MedDiet during the COVID-19 confinement. The results suggest that cooking frequency could be positively associated with overall dietary quality, which is of utmost importance in these demanding times.
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The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of coronavirus SARS-Cov2 (COVID-19) confinement measures in Colombia on the dietary behaviors of a large population sample, at national and regional levels. A survey was conducted to assess dietary behaviors during the COVID-19 confinement. The survey involved 2,745 participants, aged 18 years or older, from six regions of the country (Atlántica, Bogotá, Central, Oriental, Orinoquía and Amazonía, and Pacífica). Dietary intake of foods and foods groups in grams per day before and during the confinement was estimated by considering standard serving sizes of foods. One-way ANOVA was used to analyze differences between the regions with regard to dietary behavior changes during the confinement. Differences were deemed significant at p-value < 0.05. Dietary patterns (DPs) before and during the confinement were derived from principal component analysis. Certain dietary habits were adopted by the study population during the confinement (e.g., higher frequency of snacking and home cooking), with significant differences by regions with regard to these habits, as well as regarding culinary processes. The levels of consumption of several foods also changed during the confinement, nationally and regionally. We identified three DPs before the confinement (protein-rich, carbohydrate-rich, and sugar foods patterns) and four DPs during the confinement (westernized, carbohydrate-rich, protein-rich, fish and fruits-vegetable patterns), with an explained total variance of 33 and 45%, respectively. The profile of these DPs varied to some extent between the regions; their adherence to each DP also varied (p-value < 0.001). Our results show that there were marked differences by regions in the dietary behaviors of this population during the confinement, with an overall trend toward unhealthier DPs. These results may help to shape public health nutrition interventions in Colombia during the COVID-19 pandemic and in a post-COVID stage.
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BACKGROUND: Current research has pointed out an increased risk of mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic in women compared to men, however the reason for this difference remains unclear. The aim of this research is to study early psychological responses to the pandemic in the Spanish general population, focusing on gender differences. METHODS: Nine to 14 days after the declaration of a state of emergency an online survey was conducted assessing sociodemographic, health, behavioral and COVID-19-related variables. Mental health status was evaluated by the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21), the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), and the Self-Care Scale (SCS). RESULTS: The study included 3520 respondents: 2611 women and 909 men. Women scored significantly higher in DASS-21 and IES-R (p < 0.05) and were more likely to somatize, suffer from hypochondriasis, sleeping disturbances and claustrophobia (p < 0.05). Being a woman can be considered a risk factor for intrusive thoughts, avoidance mechanisms, stress and anxiety (Odd Ratio = 2.7/2.3/2.3/1.6). The risk of presenting posttraumatic symptoms and emotional distress was greater in women (Odd Ratio = 6.77/4.59). General linear models to predict IES-R and DASS-21 scores clarified which variables were gender specific, such as main concerns. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence that at early stages of the pandemic, women mental health was more impacted and that both genders show different concerns. Gender perspective in secondary and tertiary prevention strategies must be taken into account when facing the distress associated with the pandemic.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Pandemics , Anxiety/epidemiology , Depression/epidemiology , Female , Humans , Male , SARS-CoV-2 , Spain/epidemiology , Stress, Psychological/epidemiologyABSTRACT
Novel coronavirus (COVID-19) emerged in December 2019 in the city of Wuhan, China causing severe respiratory infections and resulting in millions admissions to hospital and over a million deaths worldwide. Authorities imposed protective measures including confinement to flatten curves of casualties resulted in sudden lifestyle and eating habit changes. The objectives of this study were to observe the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on eating behavior and lifestyle of the Kurdish population in Iraqi Kurdistan. A structured cross-sectional study was conducted from 1st to 14th of June when the lockdown finished with three different sections. Section one (6 questions) included socio-demographic information section two (11 questions) composed of dietary behavior information including a) Mediterranean diet (MD) adherence using 14-scaled items with a MD screener tool ranging from 0 to 14 b) and sections three (12 questions) composed of lifestyle habit changes such as physical activity, sleeping behavior, and smoking habit. The total number of included respondents was 2,137. The results showed that 12.0% (256) of participants stated that their lifestyle was improved, whereas 50.9% (1,087) declared their lifestyle deteriorated. In particular, the frequency of physical activity was decreased (McNemar value = 60.53, p <.001) and sleeping hours were significantly increased during lockdown (McNemar value = 447.93, p <.001). Regarding eating habits, it was noticed that 29.3% and 14.3% felt that appetite increased and decreased, respectively. The appetite change during lockdown was significantly associated with age (p =.0001), gender (p =.001), city (p =.007), and BMI (p =.001). Similarly, 32.4% reported weight gain. In conclusion, this study is among the earliest studies showing the effect of COVID-19 on eating behavior and lifestyle changes. COVID-19 confinement had a significant effect on lifestyle particularly reducing physical activity and changing eating habits.
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The coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak forced most of the world's population to be confined at home to prevent contagion. Research reveals that one of the consequences of this confinement for children is an increased amount of time spent using screens (television, computers, and mobile devices, etc.) at home. This exploratory study aims to analyze the association between screen time exposure and emotional/behavioral problems of infants and children aged under 7 years, as manifested during the lockdown period in Portugal due to the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak. The study was controlled for sociodemographic and confinement variables. A sample of 193 parents of children aged from 6 months to 6 years and 12 months, residing in Portugal, completed a survey about the time and manner of use of screen time exposure of their children. Data were derived on circumstances both before and after the confinement; the survey also explored the child's behavioral and emotional adjustment. The findings revealed a modest relationship between children's exposure time to screens and behavioral and emotional problems on children studied. It was also found that parents may play an important role in children's behavioral and emotional adjustment during the confinement period.
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We aimed to evaluate the changes in eating behaviours of the adult population across 16 European countries due to the COVID-19 confinement and to evaluate whether these changes were somehow related to the severity of the containment measures applied in each country. An anonymous online self-reported questionnaire on socio-demographic characteristics, validated 14-items Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) Adherence Screener (MEDAS) as a reference of a healthy diet, eating and lifestyle behaviours prior to and during the COVID-19 confinement was used to collect data. The study included an adult population residing in 16 European countries at the time of the survey. Aggregated Stringency Index (SI) score, based on data from the Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker, was calculated for each country at the time the questionnaire was distributed (range: 0-100). A total of 36,185 participants completed the questionnaire (77.6% female, 75.2% with high educational level and 42.7% aged between 21 and 35 years). In comparison to pre-confinement, a significantly higher adherence to the MedDiet during the confinement was observed across all countries (overall MEDAS score prior to- and during confinement: 5.23 ± 2.06 vs. 6.15 ± 2.06; p < 0.001), with the largest increase seen in Greece and North Macedonia. The highest adherence to MedDiet during confinement was found in Spain and Portugal (7.18 ± 1.84 and 7.34 ± 1.95, respectively). Stricter contingency restrictions seemed to lead to a significantly higher increase in the adherence to the MedDiet. The findings from this cross-sectional study could be used to inform current diet-related public health guidelines to ensure optimal nutrition is followed among the population, which in turn would help to alleviate the current public health crisis.
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INTRODUCTION: Healthy lifestyles are relevant to several diseases and to maintain individuals' mental health. Exposure to epidemics and confinement have been consistently associated with psychological consequences, but changes on lifestyle behaviours remain under-researched. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An online survey was conducted among the general population living in Spain during the COVID-19 home-isolation. In addition to demographic and clinical data, participants self-reported changes in seven lifestyle domains. The Short Multidimensional Inventory Lifestyle Evaluation was developed specifically to evaluate changes during the confinement (SMILE-C). RESULTS: A total of 1254 individuals completed the survey over the first week of data collection. The internal consistency of the SMILE-C to assess lifestyles during confinement was shown (Cronbach's Alpha=0.747). Most participants reported substantial changes on outdoor time (93.6%) and physical activity (70.2%). Moreover, about one third of subjects reported significant changes on stress management, social support, and restorative sleep. Several demographic and clinical factors were associated to lifestyle scores. In the multivariate model, those independently associated with a healthier lifestyle included substantial changes on stress management (p<0.001), social support (p=0.001) and outdoor time (p<0.001), amongst others. In contrast, being an essential worker (p=0.001), worse self-rated health (p<0.001), a positive screening for depression/anxiety (p<0.001), and substantial changes on diet/nutrition (p<0.001) and sleep (p<0.001) were all associated with poorer lifestyles. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, sizable proportions of participants reported meaningful changes in lifestyle behaviours during the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain. Moreover, the SMILE-C was sensitive to detect these changes and presented good initial psychometric properties. Further follow-up studies should collect relevant data to promote healthy lifestyles in pandemic times.
Subject(s)
COVID-19/epidemiology , Health Care Surveys , Life Style , Pandemics , SARS-CoV-2 , Adult , Analysis of Variance , COVID-19/psychology , Cross-Sectional Studies , Exercise , Female , Habits , Health Care Surveys/statistics & numerical data , Health Status , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Recreation , Sample Size , Self Report , Sleep , Social Support , Spain/epidemiology , Stress, Psychological/prevention & controlABSTRACT
Introduction: Healthy lifestyles are relevant to several diseases and to maintain individuals' mental health. Exposure to epidemics and confinement have been consistently associated with psychological consequences, but changes on lifestyle behaviours remain under-researched. Materials and Methods: An online survey was conducted among the general population living in Spain during the COVID-19 home-isolation. In addition to demographic and clinical data, participants self-reported changes in seven lifestyle domains. The Short Multidimensional Inventory Lifestyle Evaluation was developed specifically to evaluate changes during the confinement (SMILE-C). Results: A total of 1254 individuals completed the survey over the first week of data collection. The internal consistency of the SMILE-C to assess lifestyles during confinement was shown (Cronbach's Alpha = 0.747). Most participants reported substantial changes on outdoor time (93.6%) and physical activity (70.2%). Moreover, about one third of subjects reported significant changes on stress management, social support, and restorative sleep. Several demographic and clinical factors were associated to lifestyle scores. In the multivariate model, those independently associated with a healthier lifestyle included substantial changes on stress management (p < 0.001), social support (p = 0.001) and outdoor time (p < 0.001), amongst others. In contrast, being an essential worker (p = 0.001), worse self-rated health (p < 0.001), a positive screening for depression/anxiety (p < 0.001), and substantial changes on diet/nutrition (p < 0.001) and sleep (p < 0.001) were all associated with poorer lifestyles. Conclusions: In this study, sizable proportions of participants reported meaningful changes in lifestyle behaviours during the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain. Moreover, the SMILE-C was sensitive to detect these changes and presented good initial psychometric properties. Further follow-up studies should collect relevant data to promote healthy lifestyles in pandemic times.
Introducción: Los estilos de vida saludables son relevantes para diversas enfermedades, así como para mantener la salud mental de los individuos. La exposición a epidemias y confinamientos se ha asociado de manera consistente a consecuencias psicológicas, pero los cambios en los comportamientos del estilo de vida siguen sin investigarse. Materiales y métodos: Se realizó una encuesta online entre la población general residente en España durante el confinamiento domiciliario debido a COVID-19. Además de los datos demográficos y clínicos, los participantes auto-reportaron los cambios producidos en siete dominios del estilo de vida. Se desarrolló específicamente Short Multidimensional Inventory Lifestyle Evaluation (SMILE-C) para evaluar los cambios durante el confinamiento. Resultados: Un total de 1.254 individuos completaron la encuesta durante la primera semana de recabado de los datos. Se reflejó la consistencia interna de SMILE-C para evaluar los estilos de vida durante el confinamiento (alfa de Cronbach = 0,747). La mayoría de los participantes reportó cambios sustanciales en cuanto al tiempo al aire libre (93,6%) y a la actividad física (70,2%). Además, alrededor de un tercio de los sujetos reportó cambios significativos en cuanto a gestión del estrés, respaldo social y sueño reparador. Algunos factores demográficos y clínicos se asociaron a las puntuaciones del estilo de vida. En el modelo multivariante, aquellos factores asociados de manera independiente a un estilo de vida más saludable incluyeron cambios sustanciales en cuanto a gestión del estrés (p < 0,001), respaldo social (p = 0,001) y tiempo al aire libre (p < 0,001), entre otros. Por contra, los factores relacionados con ser un trabajador esencial (p = 0,001), peor salud auto-calificada (p < 0,001), cribado positivo de depresión/ansiedad (p < 0,001) y cambios sustanciales en la dieta/nutrición (p < 0,001) y sueño (p < 0,001) estuvieron asociados a peores estilos de vida. Conclusiones: En este estudio, proporciones considerables de participantes reportaron cambios significativos en los comportamientos del estilo de vida durante la pandemia por COVID-19 en España. Además, la escala SMILE-C fue sensible a la hora de detectar dichos cambios, y presentó buenas propiedades psicométricas iniciales. Los estudios de seguimiento futuros deberán recopilar datos relevantes para promover estilos de vida saludables en tiempos de pandemia.
ABSTRACT
This study aimed to investigate the relationship between chronotype preference/sleep problems and symptom severity of children with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) during the confinement and social isolation of the COVID-19 outbreak. This study included 46 drug-naive children aged 4-17 y diagnosed with ASD. The Autism Behavior Checklist (AuBC), Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ), and Children's chronotype questionnaire (CCQ) were filled out before and at the end of the COVID-19 mandated home confinement by the children's parents. Children with ASD during the home confinement reported higher chronotype scores, i.e., eveningness chronotype, sleep problems, and autism symptom scores compared to the normal non-hone confinement state. The chronotype score and sleep problems of children with ASD during the home confinement period varied according to the AuBC score. The sleep problems of the children with ASD during the home confinement period mediated the relationship between chronotype score and severity of autism symptoms. It is essential to validate the role of the mediator effect of sleep problems and chronotype in larger samples of children with ASD with restricted to home confinement during the pandemic period. If sleep problems can be controlled with parental education, pharmacotherapy, and psychotherapeutic interventions, the impact on children with ASD of home confinement can be reduced.
Subject(s)
Autism Spectrum Disorder/epidemiology , Betacoronavirus , Circadian Rhythm/physiology , Coronavirus Infections/epidemiology , Pneumonia, Viral/epidemiology , Sleep/physiology , Betacoronavirus/pathogenicity , COVID-19 , Coronavirus Infections/physiopathology , Female , Humans , Male , Pandemics , Pneumonia, Viral/physiopathology , SARS-CoV-2 , Severity of Illness Index , Sleep Wake Disorders/diagnosis , Sleep Wake Disorders/physiopathologyABSTRACT
The lockdown response to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused an unprecedented reduction in global economic and transport activity. We test the hypothesis that this has reduced tropospheric and ground-level air pollution concentrations, using satellite data and a network of >10,000 air quality stations. After accounting for the effects of meteorological variability, we find declines in the population-weighted concentration of ground-level nitrogen dioxide (NO2: 60% with 95% CI 48 to 72%), and fine particulate matter (PM2.5: 31%; 95% CI: 17 to 45%), with marginal increases in ozone (O3: 4%; 95% CI: -2 to 10%) in 34 countries during lockdown dates up until 15 May. Except for ozone, satellite measurements of the troposphere indicate much smaller reductions, highlighting the spatial variability of pollutant anomalies attributable to complex NOx chemistry and long-distance transport of fine particulate matter with a diameter less than 2.5 µm (PM2.5). By leveraging Google and Apple mobility data, we find empirical evidence for a link between global vehicle transportation declines and the reduction of ambient NO2 exposure. While the state of global lockdown is not sustainable, these findings allude to the potential for mitigating public health risk by reducing "business as usual" air pollutant emissions from economic activities. Explore trends here: https://nina.earthengine.app/view/lockdown-pollution.